After watching the dream pairing between LeBron James and Stephen Curry at the Paris Olympics, NBA fans couldn’t help but think back to the trade deadline rumors that linked James to Curry’s Warriors.
In February, some of the NBA’s biggest news breakers reported on James-to-Golden State rumors, though a deal never came to fruition. New reports suggest the deal was never realistically going to get done because James’ representation opposed it.
Why was Rich Paul against the deal that would have sent James to the Warriors? Here is the latest report that explains why things fell apart in February.
Why LeBron James’ agent prevented Lakers-Warriors trade
Potential trade talks between the Warriors and Lakers were stalled because Paul opposed them, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
In a recent newsletter, Stein reported that the Lakers would have listened to trade talks if James wanted them to but Paul intervened, imploring both franchises to do away with the idea. Paul’s main reason was to keep James from the potential backlash that would come from him switching teams for a fourth time in his career.
Ahead of the trade deadline, rumors heated up as both Los Angeles and Golden State were struggling near the bottom of the Western Conference’s playoff picture. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne reported that talks reached the point of conversations between each franchise’s ownership group but James ultimately decided he wanted to remain a Laker.
“When you’re talking about the names at that level, it’s going to be news but it wasn’t much news in terms of the time spent on it,” Paul told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith in February.
“He’s committed to the Lakers,” Paul added. “Jeanie [Buss] has been an incredible partner for him and us and I think it’s important for that to be understood and respected. There are ups and downs and emotions throughout the course of a season but ultimately, LeBron’s committed to the Lakers.”
The points Paul made in February are consistent with Stein’s offseason reporting.
While James could have moved to Golden State in pursuit of another NBA title, Paul asserted that James’ legacy is secure, saying, “I don’t think there’s anything else for him to accomplish and I don’t think he’s in a space where he has to win every year.”
At All-Star Weekend, James seemed to downplay the rumors, suggesting he found out about them with everyone else. His words were not as consistent with reporting of the decision ultimately coming down to him.
“[The potential trade] didn’t go far at all,” James told TNT’s Inside the NBA crew. “I actually heard about it when everybody else heard about it.
“… Sometimes there’s conversations that happen behind closed doors that you don’t even know about. And until, I guess, if it’s real or not, then they’ll bring it to you. But it never even got to me, so I heard it when the reporters dropped [the news] as well.”
Regardless of if and when James found out, he doubled down on his commitment to the Lakers by re-signing with the franchise during the 2024 offseason and the franchise doubled down on its commitment to him — and Paul — by selecting Bronny James with the 55th overall pick.
As for the trade falling apart, the consensus is that the pushback James would have received for making the move would not have been worth a potential legacy boost from winning another NBA title.
Six months later, James is gearing up for Year 7 in purple and gold.
